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Comment by jmward01

9 days ago

Once a wise man twice a fool....I'm a fool :) My most humbling experience was making it to the top, exhausted but happy only to see a jogger reach the top, look at his smart watch briefly and start back down again. Jerk.

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jmward01

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1659447091  9 days ago

> only to see a jogger reach the top, look at his smart watch briefly and start back down again

Oh hey, I met that guy. He stopped his run down to point me back to the trail after I wondered off having lost the markers somewhere on my evening ascent between the 7th and 8th station on the Subashiri trail. Made a joking comment about his not staying for the sun rise -- he already caught it on his first run up earlier that day...

mc3301  9 days ago

It's not that hard, though obviously this is subjective. Over 200,000 people every year climb it.

Many on a short holiday with minimal hiking gear or local knowledge.

Along the way you can meet many elderly people who have climbed it multiple times.

Kids climb it.

If one is in decent shape, brings some water and rice balls, it's a nice slow adventure to the top. Unless you get super unlucky with weather.

  • jmward01  8 days ago

    A good wind-breaker and glasses/face covering are pretty nice to haves. Even a little wind accelerates as it hits the mountain and picks up the tephra and turns it into a sand blaster. I just took water and yen personally since the numerous huts along the way will sell you food (and burn your stick for you). Both times I started in shorts and a t-shirt and by 8? 8.5? I switched into pants with wind/rain gear over it. There isn't anywhere to change, I just put things over my shorts (no bad American moments I hope!). I ended up blowing out my sneakers on the way down one time though. That tephra is seriously like sandpaper and it ripped the tread off one shoe. I was lucky the rest survived long enough to make it down. Honestly, down was in many ways harder than up. No huts, you are tired and it is still very steep. Totally worth it though!

    • mc3301  8 days ago

      I think I was wearing vibram fivefingers (it was 2012ish, they were cool!) when I did it, from 0 meters, as I started at the ocean. I had a little hip-bag with some rice balls and water. It was about 23 hours to reach the top. My accompanying friend did the whole thing in barefeet.